“The communication networks that provide inter-communication of the various system elements” disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,512,234 filed on Mar. 23, 2001 illustrates several examples of known methods in determining mobile entity location including: 1) providing the entity with an inertial positioning system, 2) based on proximity of the mobile entity to fixed-position local beacons, 3) involving the use of GPS satellites and 4) based on the use of signals present in a cellular mobile radio communications system. All these approaches use communication networks to determine location.
Other examples of prior art utilizing some form of communication networks include U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,765 where position determination is done via a broadcast of RF navigation signals, U.S. Pat. No. 7,378,956 where location information is obtained using a ULID code of RFID tags attached to various places such as a building and U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,660 where determining the location of a mobile telephone is based on the strengths of the signals surrounding the mobile telephone within a mobile telephone system serving area.
The first handheld mobile phone in the US market was the Motorola_Dyna 8000X, which received approval in 1983. Mobile phones began to proliferate through the 1980s with the introduction of “cellular” phones based on cellular networks with multiple base stations located relatively close to each other, and protocols for the automated “handover” between two cells when a phone moved from one cell to the other.
In the 1990s, ‘second generation’ (2G) mobile phone systems such as GSM, IS-136 (“TDMA”), iDEN and IS-95 (“CDMA”) began to be introduced. In 1991 the first GSM network opened in Finland. 2G phone systems were characterized by digital circuit switched transmission and the introduction of advanced and fast phone to network signaling.
In 1993, Apple's MessagePad, the first PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) a handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks, was introduced.
The second generation mobile phone system introduced a new variant to communication, as SMS text messaging became possible, initially on GSM networks and eventually on all digital networks. 2G also introduced the ability to consume media content on mobile phones, including downloadable ring tones as paid content.
In 1999, BlackBerry's PDA offered wireless synchronized e-mail between the PDA and desktop computer via USB or wireless.
As time went by the functions performed by PDAs were integrated into the many advanced cellular phones.
This has led to a significant decline in demand for standalone PDA's and voice-only mobile phones which are increasingly being replaced by smartphones, converged devices which integrate mobile computing with wireless communication. New features, including 3D games, mobile email, multimedia applications, and even Wi-Fi internet access have become commonplace on modern day smartphones, making them both practical and entertaining.
Devices that were once used exclusively for voice services are now used to send and receive email, to take pictures, to surf the Internet and to play music.
In 2007, the Apple iPhone was introduced offering a touchscreen display that actually made surfing the Web on mobile phones an enjoyable experience. Additionally, the phone gave users the ability to listen to music and watch movies, as well as the option to surf the web over local Wi-Fi connections and get map/location (Location-based services) information. Several smartphones have since followed in the iPhone's path, including the BlackBerry Storm, the Samsung Instinct, the Palm Pre and the HTC G1.
Not long after the introduction of 2G networks, projects began to develop third generation (3G) systems. 3G systems increased fast phone to network signaling to 2Mbit/s maximum data rate indoors, and 384 kbit/s outdoors, for example. By the end of 2007 there were 295 Million subscribers on 3G networks worldwide. 3G systems allow for live streaming of media content including radio and television.
Today, the burgeoning market in distributing media is mobile (WAP Internet). Consumers, though still enjoy the benefits on viewing media online (WEB Internet) via a desktop or laptop computer.
Media that is streamed or downloaded by mobile phones typically falls into 3 categories including video (i.e. television or movies), audio (i.e. music or voice) and images (i.e. wallpaper, backgrounds), typically, independent of location or if by location, location is first determined by a communication network and some form of radiolocation.
Location-based services (LBS) are applications that leverage a user's physical location to provide an enhanced service or experience, such as providing directions to the nearest restaurant.
Today, LBS technology exists but most services are stand-alone applications without the benefit of content to initially attract and sustain a subscriber base.
The level of opportunity and subsequent success of LBS in the marketplace (or lack thereof so far) has had a lot to do with the level of accuracy the carrier can provide in pinpointing the location of the user and mobile device.
Determining precise location, historically, has required some form of radiolocation—that is, the plotting of the position of a moving terminal, i.e. cell phone, either by receiving multiple signals at a single site or the reverse, a single signal at multiple sites.
GPS is generally superior in the precision with which it can locate a terminal, but it is inferior to network-based systems in terms of penetrating a building. Other technologies include Cell ID positioning/triangulation (accurate within 50-300 meters) E-OTD (enhanced observed time difference), and assisted GPS (A-GPS). A-GPS combines straight GPS signals with network-based location data to compensate for the line-of-sight requirement of GPS that makes it useless inside buildings, buses, trains, or anything else that blocks the terminal's view of the GPS system. A-GPS brings the accuracy level within around 30 meters but possibly as close as 10 meters with a strong signal.
According to a report from ABI Research, GPS-enabled LBS subscribers, globally, will rise from 12 million in 2006 to 315 million in 2011. That represents an increase from less than 0.5% of total wireless subscribers today to more than 9% worldwide in the next five years. For example, the technology selected by Verizon Wireless to enable LBS includes A-GPS receivers embedded in the mobile devices, together with new network elements that assist with location determination, mediate access to common geo-services and data, and enforce subscriber permissions related to privacy. The A-GPS system aids the device in locating itself. The device's location may be determined via a device-initiated application, wherein the subscriber invokes a location aware application from their mobile phone. If the device does not have visibility to the GPS satellites, it will revert to network triangulation to acquire its location. A network provides the satellite information to the device, based on a rough estimate of where the device is located, and the device acquires the GPS signals from the satellites and calculates its location. After the initial fix, the device operates like an autonomous GPS receiver, until the satellite information must be refreshed, at which time the device goes back to the network to update the satellite information.
In 2001, Airbiquity and InfoSpace announced an agreement to jointly market location-based audio wireless services. Their model was to allow wireless users to easily access audio location-based information, such as restaurants, gas stations, movie theaters, and more. Coupled with InfoSpace's commerce offerings, the solution provides end-users with complete access to targeted information and commerce capability over mobile devices relevant to their location at a specific time. The only problem: Airbiquity's technology was about five years too early. According to Kamyar Moinzadeh, CEO, “It was too early and the model required a GPS in the handset, which was really cost-prohibitive.” In an attempt to get around the issue, Airbiquity built a GPS accessory and battery for mobile phones. But that offering—introduced in 2000—did not catch on and was quickly abandoned.
All prior art patents pertaining to mobile devices and LBS, tap into cell phone tower triangulation, WIFI networks or in-phone GPS chips to determine location, which are only accurate to within 50-300 meters. The prior art has proved to be costly to implement as they required specialized equipment, and are prone to problems with accuracy and reliability.
Advertisers and marketers of a wide array of products and services, particularly local services, are excited about LBS because it would enable them to direct ads in real-time based on the specific geographic location of a mobile phone user—in other words, instant point-of-purchase advertising.
KDDI, considered one of the leaders in LBS in Japan, offers Mobile McDonald's, which not only allows users to locate the nearest McDonald's, but also allows McDonald's to send coupons to nearby users. However, due to privacy concerns, this kind of ‘pushed’ content is generally only delivered to mobile users that have given their permission to receive the advertising on their mobile device.